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Commentary

In light of assualts, escorts important

Relaying important information to a large number of students quickly is a serious consideration. Especially in light of the assaults of female students over the last couple of months. At a recent security forum, students complained that they were not informed of the recent attacks thoroughly or swiftly enough. It's a valid concern. It's the difference between walking down to the Feve to study by yourself or waiting for a group of friends. The difference between fending off an attacker and having one pass you by.

However, it is hard to know what the best way to pass along that information is. Students at the forum suggested all-campus mailings over a posted notice. But what if people don't check their mail? Over the weekend, with no reason to go out into the once again ice-cold weather, maybe students don't check their mail as often. An all-campus mailing and posted notices seem a lot of paper, but what are trees in the face of a sexual assault? Anyway, students don't always notice one more piece of paper on the doors of Wilder. E-mail is a popular hangout. Students can be found huddled in computer labs during any hour of the day - a connection to the outside world. However, e-mail to everyone might be more cumbersome and time consuming than it would potentially be worth.

Unfortunately, there probably is no fail-safe way to inform all of the College at once. Security only has so much reach. What security can do is assume any students asking for an escort are not drunk or cold, but scared. And what students can do is take responsibility for their safety all the time. Students, men and women alike, need to behave as if Oberlin is a town like any other. That includes after-dark safety and an awareness of one' s surroundings all the time. The recent assaults occured during the day, at dusk, and at night. Therefore, any assumption of a safe time of day is dangerous.

-Review Editorial Staff
Editorials are the responsibility of the editor-in-chief, managing editors and commentary editors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the Review.
Oberlin

Copyright © 1996, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 124, Number 65; March 1, 1996

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